Peer to Peer

Based on Dr. Jo Shaprio's program at Brigham and Women's Hospital, both St. Luke's Treasure Valley and Saint Alphonsus Health System have established similar solutions for their medical staff.  Confidential, personal outreach and support to providers involved in a significant or adverse event without fear of disclosure​.

Peer Supporters are your colleagues who are trained and can confidentially reach out and provide support as someone who has “been there” to combat the stress associated with those events or patient situations. They are available at any time for clinicians
feeling distress from any cause. They are not counselors but can refer you to other resources to assist you if you want to go further.

These programs run confidentially by each hospital's medical staff by-laws under Idaho Peer ​Review statutes and court rules, which prohibit disclosure. Additionally, both hospitals assert that only encounters are logged and not participant names.

It will never happen to me. But then it does.
 Medical error
 Lawsuit
 Board of Medicine complaint
 Unexpected patient outcome or death
 Immediate family death or major illness
 Divorce/separation
 Personal health crisis

You want to talk with somebody who has been there!

Free Physician Psychiatric Support - This national hotline started during COVID-19 and is staffed exclusively by volunteer psychiatrist. 1-888-409-0141 ​Physician Support Line

Saint Alphonsus Contact: Guillermo Guzman-Trevino
Guillermo.GuzmanTrevino@saintalphonsus.org

St. Luke's Treasure Valley Contact: Ben Godfrey
​(208) 381-1111 (anonymous help line)
TVwellness@slhs.org (monitored by St. Luke's Medical Staff Office)
www.stlukesonline.org/for-employees/employee-mental-health-and-well-being-support

The American Medical Association now has a StepsFoward module on how to set-up a Peer-to-Peer program in your institution.